When will the Echo and Western Mail merge?

News that Trinity Mirror has merged its Welsh operational management with that of North West England, leading to the redundancy of its MD in Wales, (one of whose last tasks was to escort the Prime Minister around the office) must bring closer the day when the group merges the Western Mail and the South Wales Echo.

Over the last year, the two papers have come closer together, with journalists writing copy for both. A few weeks ago the Echo started appearing in newsagents in the morning at the same time as the Western Mail.

Trinity Mirror's weekly titles saw recent mergers of offices and editors, ( an action we were able to fight off three years ago) and prices have gone up yet again. (The Rhondda Leader now costs 75p: six years ago it was 32p).

They will deny it now I am sure, but in the near future we will see a new paper called the South Wales Echo and Mail, or something like it.

Meanwhile, the BBC is bailing out ITV's regional news operation.